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I’ve been fortunate enough to review both of Carrie Ryan’s horror/romance/action/post-apocalypse/period-drama zombie books. What I like about them (aside from the way they pull off that fivefold-hyphenate) is that they take zombies seriously. So seriously, in fact, that the z-word is not used; rather, the undead are “the Unconsecrated” or “the Mudo.” Classy, huh? (Another [...]

Seven months ago, four Booklist editors were shown up by the book-themed board game It Was a Dark and Stormy Night. Seeing how our scattered egos were approaching reassembly, it was time for another round of humiliation. That’s just how we roll. Thus: Bookchase. The box claims as its audience everyone from “people who have [...]

Great list on Listverse: “15 Influential Early Works of Apocalyptic Fiction” (via American Libraries Direct). It’s somewhat similar to the “End of the World Literature List” from AbeBooks, with the distinction that THESE post-apocalyptic works were all written pre-Atomic Age; both lists include earlier works than my “Core Collection: Before and After The Road” (although I was the only [...]

Given the amount of time I’ve spent reading, reviewing, and having nightmares about post-apocalyptic fiction, I suppose this may have been inevitable: my short story, “The Read,” appears in the May 15 issue of Booklist as part of our Spotlight on SF/Fantasy. Is post-apocalyptic fiction a suitable subject for satire? Read The Read and let me know.

Now this is smart: a used books merchant doing read-alikes. A while ago, I got an e-mail from AbeBooks touting their “End of the World Literature – Post-Apocalyptic Fiction” list. While it includes many titles that I included on my “Core Collection: Before and after The Road,” there are titles that I either missed or [...]

In January, AMC aired (or should I say “cabled”?) a short segment on Freebird Books‘ post-apocalyptic book club. And, no, that doesn’t mean the book club itself takes place after the apocalypse, merely that they’re discussing–wait, you’re way ahead of me, aren’t you? Anyway: great idea! Our own Ben Segedin is sort of a one-man post-apocalyptic [...]

I had kind of been congratulating myself for my bravery in singing a few bars at the Booklist Forum, but after watching the recap of the Many Voices, Many Nations program, I’m in awe. Surely that was the year’s most musical discussion of books, writing, literacy, librarianship, and the fundamental unity of the global human [...]

With post-apocalyptic tales capturing our imaginations of late, it seems high time to revisit an earlier take on the subject. (Would that make it a pre-post-apocalyptic work? Or am I getting ahead of myself?) It’s Tomes and Talismans, a LibraryVenture! (Thanks, Carlos, for reminding me about this!)

The inestimable Dan Kraus has worked his video magic yet again, with this digest of the Booklist Adult Books Readers’ Advisory Forum: Post-9/11 Fiction: Thanks, Dan!

I didn’t post yesterday because I was busy working on something for Booklist‘s May 15 Spotlight on SF/Fantasy–a core collection of apocalyptic fiction that preceded The Road. Whew! I may as well have chosen SF that involves space travel, or fantasy that features scaly beasts. I’m exaggerating, of course, but (and I’m quoting myself in advance [...]